Forum rules

Welcome to the Military Depot sponsored by Benny429 from Milsurpstuff.com. Find all your components to spruce up those old military rifles or add some modern touches to proven platforms. Send Benny429 a PM before you order for special discounts for HPT forum members.

Went to a big gunshow today. Parking was horrible, but amazingly there was no line to get in. I wandered around for a couple hours, finding a few sub-$200 M44s that looked like they'd been used as improvised hammers and then buried for 50 years. Found some sub-$300 Norinco SKSs that made the M44s look downright pretty. Found a CZ-52 for $300 with 50 rounds and one for $275 with no ammo, but they were definitely issued and I just couldn't bring myself to buy them for that much.

After passing the jerky guy for about the 5th time I decided that it wasn't going to be my lucky day and started heading for the exit, thinking that I had combed every inch of the show for deals. While passing a table I caught the distinctive shape of a Makarov - something that I had not seen at any table all day.

It was tucked in a glass case with a pile of high-priced surplus guns. The first thing I saw was how nice the bluing was. I have an IJ-70 commercial Makarov, and the bluing is like most Russian surplus guns I own - dull and nothing to write home about. This gun had a deep blue that rivaled any Colt or Browning that I'd ever seen - that type of bluing that's so BLUE that you can almost see yourself in it.

I couldn't make out the symbols on the gun through the case. The sticker said $350, with 2 magazines and 2 grips. That used to seem steep to me, but with rough Bulgarian Makarovs flying off the shelves at nearly $300 I knew that I had to look at it (and deep down I already knew I was buying it). After getting the seller to take it out of the case for me, I found that it was an East German Mak (should have known that just by the bluing). After some horse-trading I finally plunked down $300, and out the door I went.

Have to say, I"m pretty pleased at the moment. Now if only I could find some 9x18 in stock I'd see how it shoots!

Congrats: The East German Maks are the best -- no doubt about it, and the price would have been a good deal even before the panic. The one I have was somebody's truck gun at some time and the finish is pretty awful but I got it cheap; it still shoots fine.

As for ammo -- just swing by my house, I still have ammo, and we can go shooting.

_________________Well that oughta be easy for a genuine son of a bitch.

_________________"Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which "We the people" tell the government what it is allowed to do. "We the people" are free." - Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1/11/1989My friends, never forget this.

_________________"Is my HP my favorite gun? No... Is it the BEST value? Very likely. Will it work when you need it to go bang? I'd bet my life on it."Attributed to Ex and he'll take credit for anything he can get!

"All it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to stand by and do nothing."Attributed to Edmund Burke, though it's source cannot be proven.

"Those who stand for nothing, fall for anything"Alexander Hamilton

Sorry to see you go Dean. Never enough time and it makes us all realize just what being mortal is. You have been a true friend to me and I will miss you every day.

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretence of taking care of them." Thomas Jefferson

Not having Windows on your computer is likenot having bricks tied to your dogs collar.

He quit didn't you get the memo? Yup, said he was quitting to concentrate on learning how to eat bugs for dinner or sumsuch dribble. Was gonna grow a beard and walk from Georgia to Maine barefoot and backwards with nothing but his PJ's on. But he was gonna carry his Hipoint tucked into the flap in the back just in case he heard banjo's somewhere. He didn't specify which direction the muzzle of the pistol was gonna be facing in the event that he would have run them pig squealers off. I mean if them fellers wanted to make a pig squealer outa him.

Anyway, that's my story on Leland although it more rightly fits driftingrz since it was him that said he was the one that said it, clear as mud?

D'oH! Just did eight discussion posts in a row and my brain is warped. More so than usual anyway.

“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.” — General George S. Patton

May we always realize the cost of our freedom. We can never repay them, but the very least we can do is uphold the ideals that they died protecting and honor them in the choices we make each day.

”If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.” -James MadisonIt's gettin close boys. The time is near.

The greatest RE-productive force is human selfishness (Say NO! to population growth!).

--No good deed goes unpunished--

When we do good, nobody remembers, when we do bad, nobody forgets. --unknown

Just because you are unnatural, bizarre, bring problems on yourself, and don't fit in does not mean I dislike you...well, yeah it does

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!” ― Hunter S. Thompson

"I HATE YOU!!!YOU SUCK!!!! (BTW.. I HATE YOU!!! YOU SUCK!!!!states that I am not worthy of the wicked weapons in your arsenal. I.E. I HATE YOU!!!YOU SUCK!!!)"

It is his way of saying "Congratulations, but I am jealous."

_________________"Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which "We the people" tell the government what it is allowed to do. "We the people" are free." - Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1/11/1989My friends, never forget this.

Palmetto and Cope's still have 9x18 Mak if there's not any available near you.

Someone read your post. Palmetto's out!

_________________"Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which "We the people" tell the government what it is allowed to do. "We the people" are free." - Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1/11/1989My friends, never forget this.

“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.” — General George S. Patton

May we always realize the cost of our freedom. We can never repay them, but the very least we can do is uphold the ideals that they died protecting and honor them in the choices we make each day.

”If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.” -James MadisonIt's gettin close boys. The time is near.

The greatest RE-productive force is human selfishness (Say NO! to population growth!).

--No good deed goes unpunished--

When we do good, nobody remembers, when we do bad, nobody forgets. --unknown

Just because you are unnatural, bizarre, bring problems on yourself, and don't fit in does not mean I dislike you...well, yeah it does

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!” ― Hunter S. Thompson